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The Cook Islands has been applauded for its marine management at this week's Whales in a Changing Ocean Conference underway in Nuku'alofa. The country recently announced all water within its 50 nautical mile zone would be protected from commercial fishing, The government wants to reduce interaction between commercial fishers and whales within Cook Islands waters.

Amnesty International's Treasure I$land report criticises the 'secrecy' surrounding billions of dollars' worth of contracts for offshore processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island, and says the agreements should be made public. Billions of dollars' worth of contracts for offshore processing centres should be made public, Amnesty International says.

A new assembly president has been elected in Wallis and Futuna but nine of the 20 representatives ignored the meeting. The boycott was triggered by news that the group's most senior member was not available for the sitting which was the first since last month's territorial election. The French prefect Jean-Francis Treffel allowed the sitting to open and a French-born businessman David Verge was elected, replacing Mikaele Kulimoetoke.

Governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres met with President Donald Trump in the White House, Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., to discuss CNMI economic issues, including the Chinese visa-waiver program. With the president was his chief of staff, Reinhold Priebus. “President Trump asked how the economy was in the CNMI,” Torres said, adding that he wanted to meet with the president to seek support for the continued implementation of the Chinese visa-waiver program.

Thousands of people at the top of New Zealand's North Island have been told to evacuate as the tail end of Cyclone Debbie continues to batter the country, bringing heavy rainfall and major flooding. The effects of the Category 4 storm were still being felt in both New Zealand and Australia on Thursday, more than a week after it made landfall in Queensland.

A new study shows that Kiribati has the highest rate of male smokers, with nearly 50 percent of men using tobacco daily. The study found that the Danish territory of Greenland has the highest incidence of female smokers at 44 percent. The findings, published by The Lancet, point to smoking rates worldwide declining but because of population growth there are now more smokers than ever.

The public prosecutor in French Polynesia says the cocaine seized in the Tuamotus last week was destined for New Caledonia or possibly Australia. Authorities found 237 kilogrammes [522 lbs] of cocaine on a burnt out yacht on Faaite after its two sailors had been taken to Papeete and detained. The prosecutor Herve Leroy said the two Spanish men, who are in their forties, deny any knowledge of the cargo.

Provincial Government minister David Tome on Thursday fronted the court, accused of stealing his constituency’s money. The Baegu/Asifola MP in Malaita faces 14 counts of conversion. He was released on a cash bail of $2,000 [US$253], with strict bail conditions.

Governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres has submitted a fiscal year 2018 budget proposal with projected revenues of $236.7 million. The governor identified total available appropriations amounting to $145,260,075, an increase of $8,234,850 or 6 percent compared to the FY 2017 budget. Torres said the increase was the result of an improving economy, triggering additional tax collections across the board.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.